Eric Adams - Mayor of San Francisco

Man, yesterday was just a total mess—first getting our democracy steamrolled by Smith, and then having to deal with this nonsense dragging on until midnight.

Emily Smith6 said:Yesterday, during their break, City Council members were feasting at the expense of the City of San Diego in a high-end restaurant. I have to say, the spread looked pretty impressive, and the food seemed absolutely divine.

Jacob Prkić might not be sure exactly what the City of San Diego shelled out yesterday for lunch at Grain of salt, but he does remember waiting months back at the state capitol nine years ago for an answer regarding how much San Diegans actually paid for the lunch hosted for the then-Democratic Party's minister, Siniša Hajdaš Dončić, at that very same restaurant.

Back then, the former mayor, Ivo Baldasar, picked up the tab, and the crew gathered at Grain of salt polished off seven bottles of wine, a bottle of champagne, and about eight kilograms of fish, all on the taxpayers' dime. It wasn't until months later that we found out the bill was slightly less than $3.25.

The local press has requested the invoice from the state government for yesterday’s feast as well, so we will publish it once we get our hands on it.

Word on the street is that the council members enjoyed veal, potatoes, and sea bass, with about fifty people attending the lunch. They did, however, have to pay for their own drinks.

"From what I hear, the bill came to about 35 dollars per person. During my term as City Council president, we used to order catering through the city's Right-wing institution, and if my memory serves me right, that cost us roughly $27 per person—so, maybe ten dollars," remarked HGS's councilman Igor Stanišić.

"We utilize the Right-wing institution whenever it makes sense; we grab sandwiches most of the time. But when we realize a session might run long and we don't want everyone stuck eating sandwiches at 3, 4, or 5 PM, we opt for something like this. It isn't a rule, just an exception," explained Željko Domazet, the president of the City Council.

This is just plain foolish.

Servantes

Sean Palmer67 said:Man, yesterday was just a total mess—first getting our democracy steamrolled by Smith, and then having to deal with this nonsense dragging on until midnight.

God, poor 😢

They started at 9, sat in that restaurant until 3 AM just scrolling through their phones and wasting everyone's time...
everyone just walks in and out whenever they feel like it...

And this happens twice a month.

They really have no shame...

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Because honestly—it’s worth every penny! 😂

I have no idea what they were thinking with that tiny bit of salt. They’re basically just shooting themselves in the foot while handing those losers all the ammunition they need to talk trash.

Emily Smith6 said:

HGS's Bekavac.

"The city ended 2022 with a surplus of $7967683, so why on earth is the mayor talking about a 100 million dollar surplus?"

The reality is that the city "saved" money, but you have to ask: at what cost? They "saved" by simply failing to follow through on planned projects that were supposed to happen last year. This "saving" comes from unbuilt preschools, unfinished main roads, social assistance gaps, and neglected infrastructure maintenance... It’s essentially "saved" because they didn't actually do anything. Out of a planned $1.341 billion in expenditures, only $1.242 billion was spent—meaning they are $100 million under budget simply due to inaction.

The city "saved" because they failed to spend earmarked revenue—the very funds we, as citizens and businesses, pay taxes for—leaving an unspent balance in 2022:
- Monumental rent exceeding $8 million
- Funds from the Diocletian vaults totaling $8.384 million
- Funds intended for Karepovac $14446667
- Funds from housing buybacks $2050000

In other words, over $22333333 wasn't used for its designated purpose. To clarify, the City has a surplus in earmarked revenues $22478667, but a deficit in general revenue $14510667; basically, they used earmarked funds to plug holes where money was missing elsewhere.

I would particularly point out the housing buyback funds, which amount to $2050000, and unfortunately, those remain untouched. Meanwhile, the city claims to have a social services waiting list for housing issues, yet insists there are no available units. I want to emphasize that these buyback funds are primarily meant to assist our most vulnerable citizens, so why haven't any apartments been purchased? Clearly, those funds were diverted elsewhere. However, I must highlight where money *wasn't* "saved," but rather spent quite liberally: official travel. In 2021, they spent $381183, but in 2022, that jumped to $3,316,571—nearly triple the amount. Bravo! As for representation costs, in 2021 it was $165, but in 2022 it hit $1,068,867, more than doubling. Just wonderful.

Then there are the unplanned loans that weren't even part of the budget revisions, and employee expenses which are higher by $11000000. Oh, and I should mention the installation of doors and video cameras at the Banovina facility for monitoring staff.

To be fair, some things *were* truly "saved" because they just never happened, such as the preschools in Kila, Pujanke, and Rusulica, as well as excellence centers, the Meje School Construction, and various school sports gyms.
- The conclusion is that these "savings" are merely the byproduct of doing nothing and failing to utilize earmarked funds, Bekavac concluded.

Matijević (Democratic Party)

"For Žnjan Road, $12.5 million was budgeted, but only $81.5 thousand was actually spent.
For Pazdigradski with the connection to Vinogradska Street, $4 million was allocated, but only $26 thousand was used.
For the arterial roads needed for the Korešnica residential area, $500,000 was planned, but $0 was spent.
Unclassified roads and other thoroughfares had $6.6 million budgeted, but $0 was spent. For parking in Slatina, the realization was $0.
For El Paso Street, $42,000 was spent against a planned $3 million. For the DPU arterial roads in the Dračevac industrial zone, $3.5 million was planned, but only $0.00 was realized.
Regarding the renovation of the Žnjan Plateau, $516 thousand was spent, but do we even have a single building permit?

If I were in the mayor's shoes, I'd be sweating over the total lack of major projects visible in this program, rather than worrying about the Small Mall.

There is a man I quite admire, Mate Vukorepa, who described situations like this perfectly. He'd say it's Račan's fault, it's Meštrović's fault, it's Harmon's fault, it's Marshall's fault, it's Ante Pavelić's fault—everyone is to blame!

Don't let everyone be the scapegoat for you. Because if you accomplish nothing during your term—and I fear that might be the current trajectory—you won't be able to blame Račan, Meštrović, the Democratic Party, Most, or the Republican Party. You will only have yourselves to blame." - Matijević remarked.

Is Ed Garvey being smart by saving up to invest later, given that we haven't seen any significant projects so far?

There aren't any projects, zero, zilch. I mean, sure, they’ve got that tiny 150-meter stretch of wall over in San Francisco that’s been under construction for two years straight🤣, and all the revenue is basically gone already... which doesn't even account for how much they spent buying up land for those future highway routes during this term. What was it, 100 or 200 square feet?!🤣

vividraven79 said:I have no idea what they were thinking with that tiny bit of salt. They’re basically just shooting themselves in the foot while handing those losers all the ammunition they need to talk trash.

So, local news just put out a segment on this.

This is pretty bad. This kind of stuff is exactly why people used to call out the Republicans for being shady and non-transparent, and now it looks like the new leadership is doing the exact same thing.🤦

I'm ready to get to work! Just send over the text you need me to transform, and I'll handle the rest.

Dana Martin95 said:So, local news just put out a segment on this.

This is pretty bad. This kind of stuff is exactly why people used to call out the Republicans for being shady and non-transparent, and now it looks like the new leadership is doing the exact same thing.🤦

What’s the problem? They spent the money! $67 Thinking about what to grab for lunch today! Any tasty suggestions?

I can't even begin to deal with this right now—honestly, I just can't. It’s like everyone has just completely lost their minds lately. I mean, seriously? You look around and it feels like common sense has just gone out the window entirely. Maybe I'm just being cynical, or maybe—just maybe—everything really is falling apart faster than we think. It's exhausting, honestly. Just totally exhausting.

Dana Martin95 said:So, local news just put out a segment on this.

This is pretty bad. This kind of stuff is exactly why people used to call out the Republicans for being shady and non-transparent, and now it looks like the new leadership is doing the exact same thing.🤦

What do you mean "lack of transparency"? Everyone was in on it—including the opposition! So, who exactly is supposed to be complaining about transparency here? It’s all a joke.

Anthony Bennett6 said:I'm ready to get to work! Just send over the text you need me to transform, and I'll handle the rest.

What’s the problem? They spent the money! $67 Thinking about what to grab for lunch today! Any tasty suggestions?

Those Republicans would probably drop that much just on appetizers, and even then, they'd still be hungry. 😁

restlessdrifter4 said:Those Republicans would probably drop that much just on appetizers, and even then, they'd still be hungry. 😁

Whatever, honestly. It was just a business lunch during working hours. They didn't go out on their own time to grab drinks or anything. And let's be real, it's not like we're talking about some massive, earth-shattering amount of money here. We're going to make a huge scene over this little thing while a mountain of actual corruption gets completely ignored. Whether it's coming from the local establishment or the opposition...

ruggedowl13 said:I can't even begin to deal with this right now—honestly, I just can't. It’s like everyone has just completely lost their minds lately. I mean, seriously? You look around and it feels like common sense has just gone out the window entirely. Maybe I'm just being cynical, or maybe—just maybe—everything really is falling apart faster than we think. It's exhausting, honestly. Just totally exhausting.

What do you mean "lack of transparency"? Everyone was in on it—including the opposition! So, who exactly is supposed to be complaining about transparency here? It’s all a joke.

I thought they weren't going to say anything official from San Francisco, but I guess they actually sent a written response.🕺

Anthony Bennett6 said:I'm ready to get to work! Just send over the text you need me to transform, and I'll handle the rest.

What’s the problem? They spent the money! $67 Thinking about what to grab for lunch today! Any tasty suggestions?

The problem is that when things are too cheap, you lose the quality needed to actually sustain any real value.

vividraven79 said:The problem is that when things are too cheap, you lose the quality needed to actually sustain any real value.

Man, Guba was sitting right there at the table with them...
If anyone had actually stood up and complained, maybe things would be different—but I guess when you've got a plate of sea bass in front of you, it's way easier to just shut up and let the opportunity slip away.

restlessdrifter4 said:Those Republicans would probably drop that much just on appetizers, and even then, they'd still be hungry. 😁

Man, this is just what happens when you have bottom-tier PR in a city like San Francisco.

How clueless can you be to serve up such an obvious setup like this? 🤦 Every news outlet, from local stations to waiting on CNN...

I already said their PR team is a joke—just a bunch of amateurs. Maybe someone will actually listen eventually. 😁

PAY UP AND MOVE OUT: This artist needs to vacate his studio; a public tender might offer him a fresh start

The freelance artist, Ante Kuštre, essentially needs to pack up his studio, return the space to the city government, and settle a debt that’s just under three thousand dollars. According to the head of property management, he apparently started making payments toward the arrears only after he went to the press to complain about being evicted. Regarding the specifics, the official noted that the lease for the 32-square-meter studio on Dioklecijanov Street actually expired back in 2010. - Essentially, he’s been occupying the space without a valid agreement for 13 years. The lease wasn't renewed at that time due to long-standing unpaid rent for the commercial space, she explained. Legal proceedings to empty the premises and return possession to the city were initiated quite some time ago; in fact, a final court order for repossession was issued as far back as 2012, though it seems that hasn't been enforced yet. $100 The monthly rent, excluding tax, was set at a baseline rate—which, I suppose, is pretty reasonable considering the space is strictly zoned for commercial use rather than residential. - Based on the warning notice we sent out back in March—which he ignored when he spoke to the media—the debt stands at $2,292.81. It looks like he hasn't paid for the use of this commercial space for nearly five years, she continued. She pointed out that leasing city-owned or managed commercial properties can only happen through a formal public bidding process. Furthermore, she emphasized that many independent artists use these commercial spaces, and the vast majority of them pay their rent regularly under leases secured through those same public tenders. - So, under American law, he’s required to go through the public tender process and pay his rent, just like every other tenant using residential or commercial city property. Consequently, he's been told to clear his debts and hand the keys back to the City of San Francisco in accordance with the standing court order.

Way to go, Maja. Everything was so much simpler under the old Republican administration when you could snag cheap space without even a tender. Meanwhile, the honest folks who actually followed the rules spent years playing the fool.

Emily Smith6 said:PAY UP AND MOVE OUT: This artist needs to vacate his studio; a public tender might offer him a fresh start

The freelance artist, Ante Kuštre, essentially needs to pack up his studio, return the space to the city government, and settle a debt that’s just under three thousand dollars. According to the head of property management, he apparently started making payments toward the arrears only after he went to the press to complain about being evicted. Regarding the specifics, the official noted that the lease for the 32-square-meter studio on Dioklecijanov Street actually expired back in 2010. - Essentially, he’s been occupying the space without a valid agreement for 13 years. The lease wasn't renewed at that time due to long-standing unpaid rent for the commercial space, she explained. Legal proceedings to empty the premises and return possession to the city were initiated quite some time ago; in fact, a final court order for repossession was issued as far back as 2012, though it seems that hasn't been enforced yet. $100 The monthly rent, excluding tax, was set at a baseline rate—which, I suppose, is pretty reasonable considering the space is strictly zoned for commercial use rather than residential. - Based on the warning notice we sent out back in March—which he ignored when he spoke to the media—the debt stands at $2,292.81. It looks like he hasn't paid for the use of this commercial space for nearly five years, she continued. She pointed out that leasing city-owned or managed commercial properties can only happen through a formal public bidding process. Furthermore, she emphasized that many independent artists use these commercial spaces, and the vast majority of them pay their rent regularly under leases secured through those same public tenders. - So, under American law, he’s required to go through the public tender process and pay his rent, just like every other tenant using residential or commercial city property. Consequently, he's been told to clear his debts and hand the keys back to the City of San Francisco in accordance with the standing court order.

Way to go, Maja. Everything was so much simpler under the old Republican administration when you could snag cheap space without even a tender. Meanwhile, the honest folks who actually followed the rules spent years playing the fool.

The way this city operates is becoming a total pathology, but luckily we have the right leadership to fix it.😁

Think about it: the guy was supposed to pay fifty bucks for space near a historic landmark and somehow managed to rack up a two-thousand-dollar debt. Instead of taking responsibility, he goes to the papers to run his mouth against the local leaders. It’s absurd.🤦

The city should just build a monument to his sheer incompetence...

That guy is just out here playing everyone for fools
The old con artist's run is finally over
It’s great seeing someone actually cleaning up this mess

SHOCKING: Local figure claims 'Relocation is impossible, I'm settling my debts, I'll have everything paid by next week'
https://news.cnn.com/example-link

He tried to explain himself—claiming his "artistic pursuits" are his whole life.

If he actually had any money, he’d still be sitting there acting like nothing happened

One less loudmouth in the world.

I don't know who Anthony is, but if you're thinking about taking out Maya and scattering her everywhere... honestly, you'd need at least a dozen of them just in Washington, D.C. alone...☕